Saturday, April 21, 2018

This is a great little book. Making Mead was first published in the United Kingdom in 1968. This expanded edition, Making Your Own Mead, was updated in 2013 by Dan Vallish. It's a very welcome addition to my little wine-library. Thanks to Fox Chapel Publishing.
The book begins with a quick, but comprehensive, romp through the history of mead, putting Bacchus right back into Bacchanalia. It seems that the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Vikings, the Elizabethans, even British soldiers of the Napoleonic era, and others, were all enthusiastic mead drinkers. Included in the book are 43 recipes for making mead, a list of the equipment needed to make homemade honey wine and the basic techniques to get started. And now, one eureka moment later, I finally understand the difference between the ale-like meads and the wine-like meads that I have tasted in the past. It's the yeast, stupid.
I'm feeling the need for mead. The recipe for 'Ale Mead' calls for just one pound of honey. I may have to have a go at making mead myself. Move over, Vinomaker.